-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If you 've read Suzanne Collins ' `` Hunger Games '' trilogy , then the odds are ever in your favor when it comes to cocktail party conversations about Katniss , the Mockingjay and the Quarter Quell .

If you have n't , then that was all gibberish ... but it does n't have to be .

As `` Catching Fire , '' the second movie in the series , comes to theaters November 22 we 've got all the information you need to dazzle friends with your talk of Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman in our `` HG 101 '' -- as well as some insider facts about the movie that 'll make even the most hardcore fans feel a little more informed before heading into the arena .

Happy `` Hunger Games '' !

The games

HG 101 : Every year in post-apocalyptic Panem , two tributes , aka children , from each district are selected in a public reaping to compete in the win-or-die Hunger Games . But every 25 years , there 's a Quarter Quell , where a dark twist makes the games even more treacherous . As punishment to heroine Katniss Everdeen -LRB- Jennifer Lawrence -RRB- -- who not only outwitted the Hunger Games , but also ensured her partner Peeta Mellark -LRB- Josh Hutcherson -RRB- survived too -LRB- unprecedented ! -RRB- -- the Quarter Quell finds them back in the arena , competing against other past winners .

As if that were n't enough , there 's also a love triangle , family drama , a score to settle , several districts to save and an uprising that ca n't be quieted . With evil monkeys and even more evil victors from previous games to battle , it 's a lot for one movie to tackle , but the tributes in `` Catching Fire '' are more fully-formed characters , and they help set the story apart and keep the conflict interesting .

Expert tip : These games are getting darker and sexier . Yes , the very premise of kids fighting to the death for the public 's amusement ensures that there 's a dark thread throughout the entire story , but the look and feel of `` Fire '' is darker as well , with new director Francis Lawrence amping up the action and suspense . And while costume designer Trish Summerville did n't allow tributes to be nearly nude as in the books , she did pull some form-fitting designer duds for them to wear . The fandom is growing up , and the movies are following suit .

The big question : With several big names joining the cast , are there any new standouts ? Sam Claflin shines as cocky tribute Finnick Odair , and Jenna Malone makes an equally splashy -LRB- and equally clothing-free -RRB- entrance as Johanna , who 's good with an axe , but takes a bit to warm up to . Both have great moments with Katniss .

` Hunger Games ' theme park ? We have some ideas

The love triangle

HG 101 : So there 's this girl Katniss and she 's a total badass , and she 's basically best buds with the male version of her , Gale -LRB- Liam Hemsworth -RRB- , but she gets sent off to the Hunger Games with Peeta , saves his life a million times and now all the viewers want them to be an item . So they sort of are . Besides fighting for basic survival , the Quarter Quell gives them more time together to explore their relationship , for real and for the cameras . The love triangle is what grounds the entire series in reality , and it ai n't over until it 's over , so do n't expect anything to be decided halfway through the series ' four-movie run .

Expert take : Peeta might not be such a bad option for Katniss after all ! Fans of the books were outraged that -- spoiler alert ! -- Katniss ended up with Peeta after so clearly having a stronger connection with Gale . Peeta always seemed like too much of a damsel in distress for our Katniss , but in `` Catching Fire , '' Peeta is stronger and more independent -- and he can swim , so thankfully you wo n't have to see a near-drowning when they enter the water-filled arena . We wish he 'd get a skill a little more exciting than painting his body with mud to be camouflaged , but we 'll take any improvement on the character we can get .

The big question : What about Gale ? While Gale is once again on the sidelines for most of the movie , he does have a particularly haunting scene in `` Catching Fire '' that stays somewhat true to the book . The big difference ? This time the changes leave the door open for Gale to really make his presence -LRB- and his intentions with Katniss -RRB- known in the two-part `` Mockingjay '' final installments . They 've got Hemsworth -- they 're going to use him !

A brief history of young adult literature

The Capitol

HG 101 : While the tributes from the districts must compete to take their next breath , residents of the Capitol are the 1 % . Their excess knows no bounds , but they 're still human . While they felt like caricatures in the first movie , `` Catching Fire '' reveals some chinks in the otherwise bedazzled armor , all thanks to Katniss and her act of rebellion that 's now sparked a revolution .

Expert tip : Yes , Cinna -LRB- Lenny Kravitz -RRB- is still the most stylish tribute sympathizer , but Effie Trinket is more lovable than ever . In `` The Hunger Games , '' Effie -LRB- Elizabeth Banks -RRB- epitomized everything the Capitol stood for : fashion , material things , excess and an obliviousness to the real issues in the districts around them . But as the stakes of the games are raised , so are Effie 's concerns , and seeing cracks in her very colorful faÃ § ade helps make her more than a one-note character . We saw glimpses of her conscience in the books but , onscreen , Banks takes her from unemotional escort to compassionate cog in the wheel .

The big question : Who 's the new big bad ? After the execution of `` Hunger Games '' gamemaker Seneca Crane -LRB- Wes Bentley -RRB- , who ignored orders and let both Katniss and Peeta win , Plutarch Heavensbee -LRB- Philip Seymour Hoffman -RRB- steps in -- and he 's not going to make the same weak mistakes as his predecessor . With direct orders from President Snow -LRB- Donald Sutherland -RRB- to make sure Katniss does n't survive the 75th Games , he becomes the scariest new villain in the Capitol and the biggest potential threat . The role feels tailor-made for Hoffman .

With the Panem rebellion in full swing , and Katniss as their poster child , there 's more to prove in this 75th Hunger Games than ever before . Alliances will be tested and monkey mutts and Jabberjays will terrorize the returning victors , all while the clock is ticking to save their families , their districts and themselves .

Jennifer Lawrence was Josh Hutcherson 's first

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`` Catching Fire '' finds heroine Katniss back in the Hunger Games arena

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The movie further explores the love triangle between Katniss , Peeta and Gale

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The film is darker and sexier than the first